Assistant
by FlyingShibaInu
Summary: Miles wants to do Phoenix a favor, and helping him take care of his female assistant seems like an easy way to win his heart, right? Treating her to lunch and dinner, what could possibly go wrong? Miles forgets one thing: The female assistant is not just an assistant, but a Maya. [I'm putting this on hiatus/discontinued. Sorry! I've decided I'm not ready to write romance]
1. Self

**A/N: This story is not finished yet, but I want the first chapter to be out here, so here you go. Miles' crush on Phoenix at the beginning is one sided, but he'll live. ****I don't know how to romance oh no...**

* * *

After the trial, Maya and Phoenix seemed to return to their normal lives. Miles could only hope that she would be okay. He knew how hard it was to recover from this kind of case. It pained him to admit, but Maya was Phoenix's problem. She was Phoenix's assistant, Phoenix's mentor's sister, Phoenix's friend.

Both of them were not his business.

Even though Miles thought he wouldn't have to worry about them for a long time, he received a call on his personal cell phone a few days later. He picked it up.

"Hey Edgeworth? I got a problem."

Hearing his voice after a few days brightened Miles' mood like no other. "Make it quick, Wright. I am working."

"I think… I'm running out of money."

Miles's hope vanished. Of course it wasn't about him. "And why, pray tell, are you telling me this during my work hour?"

"Um, well, listen first. Please? I don't have anyone else."

Phoenix's voice was desperate. Miles would never admit under torture, but Phoenix's tone, begging for help… Miles wanted to impress this person however he can. Throw 'I am working' out the window. "Meet me at the cafe nearby."

* * *

"You see, Maya is my assistant and I don't have enough to actually hire her. So, I let her live in the office and we share meals…"

They met at a cafe near the courthouse, somewhere in the middle between Phoenix's office and the prosecutor's office. After they had a seat and the beverage was served, Phoenix started talking about his problem.

Miles sipped his tea. He hated himself for being so nervous. It was his idea to meet in person since it seemed like a serious thing, but also… he wanted to see Phoenix. And treat him to coffee. And let him know Miles was always here, ready to take care of him. All of these, a desire to impress. Silly unnecessary feeling.

"Right now Pearls is in my office too…" Phoenix sighed. "I don't want to be rude, but maybe I could just send them back to Kurain?"

"Absolutely not," Miles said. "Miss Fey is coping. It could be worse if she went back to that village, especially now that she is staying strong for Pearls and you. If she went back, she would have to put up a front for the whole village."

"Yeah, I know... I don't want her to be alone either." Phoenix sipped his latte. "... but I can't babysit her forever. I don't know what to do."

That comment struck Miles as odd. "You have taken care of her for three years. What makes you unable to continue?"

"You see… I need to save some money for Iris."

Ah, of course.

Someone like Phoenix would care even for a friend who kept deep, dark secrets from him. He went as far as to prepare some money for her to build her life out of jail again. It was always a case with Phoenix Wright, always doing something for someone else...

Then it hit him. This was the perfect opportunity to impress Phoenix. "I could help."

Phoenix looked up from his latte. "Really? How?"

"She could assist me in my office." Miles raised the teacup to his lips to cover his face. "That way, she would have money to fend for herself."

"Eh. I doubt she could help you." Phoenix scratched his head. "She doesn't actually help me except taking calls and channeling, and err… Maya doesn't want money. She wants food and a place to sleep. She sleeps in my office, by the way."

"Treating her to lunch and dinner should not be beyond my ability." Miles could do a lot more, technically speaking. He could rent Phoenix's apartment easily, but that would damage Phoenix's pride. Of course, if Phoenix did as much as to ask, Miles would help in a heartbeat. He owned that man more than his life.

"Thanks so much, Edgeworth." Phoenix grinned. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Miles wished Phoenix would stop teasing him like that.

* * *

"Ohhh your office is nice, Mr. Edgeworth!"

"It is nothing special," Miles said.

They had agreed that the longest Miles would take care of Maya would be no more than seven years. By then, Iris would be out of jail. Phoenix told him he considered having a part-time job to get more money for Iris.

"Would you like some tea, Miss Fey, Pearls?"

"Oh, yes please," Maya said. Pearl also nodded.

After giving the Feys two cups of tea and some entertainment, Miles started doing his paperwork. Phoenix seemed really guilty for letting him take care of Maya, and Pearl, for the time being. Miles didn't mind it so much. Lunch and dinner, what could possibly go wrong?

The Feys sat on the couch and played his DS. Maya was good at dancing games, if the cheering of Pearl were to measure Maya's skill. Then they started reading some of his literature book, if Pearl really was trying to pronounce the name Javert correctly.

* * *

Miles let out a breath. The first set of paperwork was done. He looked up to find Pearl sleeping with her head on Maya's lap. Maya was giving him a tired look. She yawned. "So, anything I can do to help?"

Oops. Miles forgot about that. "You could clean the room."

Maya looked around and shook her head. "But everything is already so clean!" She then pointed at his computer. "Maybe I can help with emails? I always help Nick with email."

"Wright is hopeless with technology, unlike me," Miles said. "And my email is private and important. I cannot let you."

"But, but! At least I can organize them?" Maya gave him a pleading look. "And I can separate files into different piles? Please? And er… I can go buy lunch!" Maya stood up, careful to place Pearl back on the couch, and headed for the door.

"It is not lunchtime yet. Miss Fey, wait-"

Maya stepped back with a yelp as the door swung opened without her touching.

"Hey, pal! I didn't expect you here." Gumshoe stepped into the office with lunch boxes and case files.

"You've got lunch!" Maya said. "Why do you have four boxes? I thought you didn't know."

"Ah, it was for sale. Buy one get one, you see." Gumshoe chuckled as he placed the food on the coffee table. "Angle always gives me a discount."

"Angel?" Maya tilted her head.

"He meant Ms. Starr," Miles said. Then he got an idea. "Detective, are you free?"

"Yes sir. Do you have anything for me to do?"

"Tell Miss Fey here how it is like to work with me," Miles said. "She would be my… assistant, for the time being."

Maya started talking with Gumshoe about… everything. Dogs and family and Steel Samurai and games. After Pearl woke up, Gumshoe and Pearl caught up with each other. He was surprisingly good with kids.

When it was time for lunch, Miles took a short break and ate with all of them, then he returned to work. Gumshoe still wasn't going anywhere, so Maya played the DS with him wth Pearl sitting on his lap.

Miles blinked, suddenly aware that he was watching them. The scene before him pleased him for some reason. Of course, these annoying people were finally out of his hair. It was a relief. Gumshoe and The Feys got along so well. It felt like an accomplishment, a personal victory. He wondered if Franziska would get along with Maya, too...?

Maya touched the ornament on her neck. "Here is my magatama! If I have enough spiritual energy one day, I'll charge it with my own power!"

Gumshoe snuck his hand into his trenchcoat. "And here, pal, is my pistol!"

"Detective!" Miles said. "Do not use your service weapon recklessly!"

Gumshoe's shoulder sagged. "The safety is on, sir."

"Do it again and I'm cutting your salary."

"Yes, sir..."

"Mr. Edgeworth, you gotta raise gumshoe's salary!" Maya piped up. "He's so poor. He's poorer than Nick!"

Miles huffed. What kind of life has Gumshoe bragged to Maya to earn such pity? "I will consider it."

"Consider? Seriously?" Maya confronted him with hands on her hip. "Don't you cut his pay enough?"

"Miss Fey, I do not cut his salary." Miles wondered if she thought she was intimidating looking like that. She was cute, if anything. Even if this worked on Phoenix, it wouldn't work on Miles. "... Not often. Those are empty threats, I assure you."

"Good. You really should raise his salary though. It's not like it's your money, and you have a lot of money anyway, no? Let him feel just a bit of your luxury life, would you?"

"You make me sounds like a terrible person."

"You won't be terrible if you treat us to ice cream."

Miles let out an amused smile. He could do that. "Dinner first."

"Oh right." Maya knelt down. "... Okay, Pearly, say you're hungry. Say that Mr. Edgeworth is evil and keep us in here all day and he should take us out to burger joint, okay?"

Pearl nodded.

Gumshoe perked up at that. "He's treating you to dinner, pal?"

"Yep!" Maya said. "Right, Pearly?"

Still confused, Pearl nodded.

"Yes, Detective." Miles sighed inwardly. "I hear your wish just fine, Miss Fey."

Maya grinned sheepishly.

* * *

Miles could eat burgers. If the majority wished for burgers, he would listen to them. They didn't have to act like the world was ending whenever he showed some kindness. Perhaps he should do this more often. Gumshoe and Maya, even Pearl, were so happy. Was it because he was the one paying? Miles wondered why they appreciate it so much.

It took them so little to be happy.

After parting with Gumshoe and sending the Feys off at Phoenix's office doorstep, Miles drove back home, trying to recall the last time he ate dinner with someone in a casual setting.


	2. Denial

**A/N: There're 1-4 spoilers about the role of Maya in that case.**

* * *

The next day, Miles entered his office to see Maya sitting on his chair like she's the owner of the room.

He shouldn't have given her the spare key.

"Prosecutor Edgeworth!" Maya hit the desk with two hands, glaring at him like he's a witness on the stand. "We are not repeating yesterday's disaster!"

Miles was confused and decided to play along at the same time. "Disaster?"

"Yes, Prosecutor, a disaster!" Maya wagged her finger. How dare she copy him. "If Gumshoe didn't come to save the day, it would be super boring. Pearly almost died from boredom."

"She did not."

"You get what I mean. Today she stays at the office with Nick… to watch TV shows. It's better than being here, I'm sure."

"Miss Fey." Miles crossed his arms. "What you should have done first and foremost when someone comes in is to invite them to sit. It is the basic manner of the host."

"Oh right. Please have a seat," Maya said.

Miles sat on the visitor's chair. Did she not get the clue or was she playing around? He hoped it was the latter. At least it meant he wasn't dealing with a second Gumshoe. "What is it you plan to do for today? Doing paperwork for me, perhaps?"

"Hmm…" Maya eyed the paperwork in front of her. "Tell me how to arrange the files at least? Then you can do your thing."

Miles didn't want her to mess with his work. It seemed like a big risk, but if she was going to be his 'assistant' and if she wanted to pretend she's actually helping him, he'd let her. _Phoenix will thank you for it if she is happy. _

Miles decided to let her sort the files by urgency, so Maya sat at the couch with piles of paper in front of her on the couch table. She was efficient, used to comprehending information in texts. She could be a nice secretary for Phoenix if that man were to have more paperwork.

When lunchtime came, Maya went to the cafeteria and bought lunch for both of them. This wasn't different on Miles' part. He could go there himself or order food to be delivered to his room.

"What do you usually eat for lunch with Wright?" Miles asked.

"Huh?" Maya lowered her chopstick. "Burgers, noodles, rice balls… It depends."

That does not sound healthy. "And dinner?"

"Pretty much the same with lunch, but with cocoa and snacks."

"What about breakfast...?"

"The same as lunch and dinner but with coffee."

"... I see." The rest of the meal was in silence.

Miles couldn't help but blame Phoenix. Maya deserved a proper meal and a proper place to sleep, especially now that Pearl lived with them. Defense attorneys should take care of their assistants properly no matter how poor they are… Being a defense attorney was not a good excuse anyway. His father took care of Raymond Shields just fine. Phoenix was lazy, that's it. He was also too kind and has a woman in jail to worry about.

That did not erase the fact that Phoenix didn't take care of Maya well enough.

After the meal, Maya threw away the lunchboxes and came back with a mischievous smile. Miles looked up from his work to see Maya heading for the figurine.

"What. Wait, Miss Fey. Miss Fey!"

"Disregard your rules, of course! Ahh the Steel Samurai figurine I want to touch you!" Maya got ahold of the Steel Samurai and hugged it, then turn around and stuck her tongue out.

"Miss Fey!"

"You let me? Yeah? Yeah! Steel Samurai go go!" Maya ran around the room and gave him a look. "This was for being boring."

Miles shook his head and kept working. Surely she would get bored of whatever she was doing. More importantly… she was happy. How long did it take him to be happy again after DL-6? He didn't keep track, but it was a long time.

"... You keep the manga under this shelf, I'm amazed."

Miles looked to the left. Maya was sticking her head in his tea cabinet. "Miss Fey..."

Maya crawled back out and stood up and dust her clothes. Miles huffed. His cabinet was cleaned. There should be no dust.

He had half a mind of calling security. Instead, he went back to work. If Maya was happy wreaking havoc in his life, so be it. She couldn't do that much damage. Aside from the figurine and the manga stash, there should be nothing of interest to her.

"Wow, this one's so spiky…" Nevermind. She was bending over the chessboard. "Is Miss Fey not a mouthful? Maya sounds way better."

Miles didn't know why she brought that up. "They are both two syllables."

"Hold your horses!" Maya looked at him, her hand holding a horse piece. She grinned at that. No, it's not funny. "If they are both two syllables, that means switching from one to the other shouldn't be hard, yeah?"

Miles kept working.

"... No fun, as always." Maya finally left his chessboard alone and walked to the bookshelf. "Is there anything else. Hmmm… I'm going up the ladder!"

"Miss Fey!" Miles dropped his pen. "It- it is dangerous!"

"I said call me Maya!" She had already reached the top of the ladder in record time.

Her robe was rather short- _Stop!_

"And unlike someone, I'm not afraid of quakes. Up here has a nice view."

Miles almost said his view here was also quite interesting. He felt his own face heated up. "Miss Fey, this is inappropriate! You- your clothing-" _No no no don't look. _"Get down, please!"

"Oh, that, haha." She shouldn't be laughing! "I wear shorts beneath my yukata, y'know."

_She's a friend she's a friend she's a friend._ Is she a friend? _Stop looking at her! _ "Just… come down, please."

"Okay, okay, I'm coming down." Maya climbed down the ladder and jumped out of it at the last step. She walked across the room and propped up on a couch, picking up a book from yesterday. It seemed the rest of today would be in peace. "By the way, I saw a wooden box up there."

Miles froze. Oh. Right. Of course, someone would notice if they climbed all the way up… "Is that so?"

"Is it your Steel Samurai stash?" Maya asked. "But you already have one in the tea cupboard."

"That was…" Miles tried to find an excuse and couldn't think of any. "I have no reason to tell you."

Maya raised her eyebrows. "Ouch. You're so mean."

"It is my private matter, Miss Fey. I have the right to remain silent."

"Because anything you say may be used against you in a court of law, right?" Maya grinned, but the silence continued. "... You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future… You're really not telling? Fine…"

Miles would remain silent. Phoenix's letters should be kept away from prying eyes. He had ordered Gumshoe to place it there a long time ago and even Miles himself had forgotten. He went back to work. Maya would drop it.

"Fine." Maya opened the book. "The price you'll pay for being no fun is a nice dinner, okay...?"

* * *

"... Sheesh, you're more evil than I thought, Mr. Edgeworth."

Miles' idea of revenge was to bring her to a place she could not comprehend or know how to behave at all.

"This place is so fancy. I can smell flowers even in the hallway." Maya looked at the menu without understanding it since it was in German. "How many stars is this place? Ten?"

"It's only four."

Maya snorted. While Miles contemplated whether to order wine or not and decided not to, she skimped through the menu and finally gave up. "Please tell me this place has burgers."

Miles smiled. What a simple mind. "They do."

"Oh." Maya looked him over as if trying to comprehend this person in front of her was the same one she always knew. "Nevermind all my bad moods earlier, Mr. Edgeworth. I love you."

Miles grabbed his upper arm, his nervous tick. Why was he nervous? What's wrong with him today? He resorted to his usual defense mechanism: a cold demeanor and a harsh choice of words. "Hmph. This does not make me forgive you about earlier."

"I'm sorry…" Maya's hands clapped together. "I'm not digging through your things again, promise!" Miles started to regret being mean to her. "... or should I? if the burger here is going to be that great…"

Nevermind. "I might return you to Wright soon and never treat you to dinner again."

"What? No fancy burgers anymore? Okay, I'll behave, I'll behave!"

* * *

Miles was driving her back to Phoenix's office in silence. Maya had fallen asleep in the passenger's seat. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, willing himself not to glance at her too much.

He admitted it, he was interested in her. It's not often that he was interested in someone in this way. There was this one girl in Germany, then there was Phoenix… and that's about it. His love life was almost nonexistent.

No, there was also Maya Fey.

Maya Fey, Mia Fey's younger sister. Maya Fey, who had convinced him to let them help in that case even though her own past was also intertwined with it, who confronted Lotta and was in contempt of court because of her action. _She tackled Manfred von Karma_ and secured the bullet in the DL-6 incident, which Phoenix later used to prove Manfred as the true murderer.

Miles owed Phoenix a great deal. He was indebted to Maya just as much.

It felt wrong. It also felt like cheating. He wasn't dating Phoenix. He hadn't even confessed. But to be interested in someone else, especially someone who's a different gender than who he was currently interested in? Miles Edgeworth, you're sick. Phoenix was male. Maya was not. Miles never cared about gender but still… not at the same time, that's weird!

… Is it?

Miles shook his head. This was but a moment of weakness, and her weakness as well. The Hazakura case's resolution was but a few days ago. To take advantage of her mental stage right now would be even more wrong than what he was thinking earlier.

_She was coping, remember that. It will pass, _Miles told himself. _It has been there since the retrial of DL-6_, the other part of him reasoned. He had to admit, that part was true.

_Again, a moment of weakness. Maya would be interested in Phoenix if she was interested in anyone at all._ That also made sense and it hurt him in both ways. _This is unwanted. It will interfere with your work quality. _And with that, Miles pushed his thoughts aside and focused on the road. He noticed he was speeding and slowed down a little. Right, be a good citizen and follow the speed limit.

_Rationalization, displacement, denial, repression, avoidance. _

That was how Miles Edgeworth controlled unwanted thoughts, and he controlled it well.

A few minutes later, Miles parked in front of the building where Phoenix's office was and shook Maya awake. When they entered, Pearl greeted them and asked if he wanted some chocolate milk. Miles decided he was thirsty enough for a glass. And like in the morning, it would make Pearl feel useful.

Maya closed the door behind him. "Thanks for dinner, Mr. Edgeworth. It was great. And for Pearly's spaghetti."

Miles sat on the couch and waited for Pearl to make him hot cocoa. He didn't intend to impress Maya but an appreciation was nice. And of course, she could brag about it to Phoenix later. "It was no problem."

Maya walked further into the office. "Time to shower and sleep on the couch… wait, and wait until Mr. Edgeworth left, and sleep on the couch."

Miles looked at her and narrowed his eyes. "Miss Fey, you sleep on the couch? The very couch I am sitting on?"

"Yeah?" Maya tilted her head. "Pearly likes the bed. It perfectly fits her size. The couch isn't bad. It kinda smells like snack we eat and cocoa powder, but it's comfy..."

* * *

"You let her sleep on the couch, Wright. On the _couch_."

"What?" Phoenix poked at lettuce leaves with a fork. "Why am I being chewed out all of a sudden? And there's a bed!"

Miles crossed his arms. "Pearls sleeps on the bed, not Maya."

To his credit, Phoenix did look guilty there. "... I thought they share the bed for sure."

"They don't. The bed is for one person. Someone such as Miss Fey would sacrifice her comfort for her younger cousin." Miles stared him down. "Wright, you are a terrible host."

"Yeah, I know." Phoenix chewed the lettuce and winced. He never liked salad but Miles forced him to eat this today. Phoenix couldn't complain. He wasn't the one paying. "So… Edgeworth, how was it? Is Maya bothering you? Is it okay?"

Miles thought for a moment. "It was tolerable."

"Good to hear." Phoenix let out a sigh of relief and went back to poking his salad.

Miles sipped his tea. "You still have more on your mind."

"Well, I have one more request…" Phoenix gave a hesitant glance. "More like an idea, but... Maya, well..."

"Out with it."

"I think Maya has nightmares. I heard from Pearls at least…" _Maybe you could help_ could be implied. "I can't just stay with her or something. That'd be weird."

As always, Miles had the solution to Phoenix's problem. Maya would also see him in a better light. _This would be killing two birds with one stone- No no don't go there. _He was worried about her, honest. Before Miles could stop himself, his hand at the usual spot on the other arm, he said, "I have spare guest rooms. Give me a few days and they could move in."

Phoenix gasped and met his eyes. "You serious? I haven't even asked."

"Even without you asking, I would offer regardless," Miles said. "Do not worry. I am sure my house is better than your office."

"Ouch." Phoenix gave him a smile. "Thanks, Edgeworth. Really. Why are you so good to me?"

"I can be good when I need to be, Wright."

Phoenix stared at him for a moment before backing off. "You know this is a big deal, right? They're going to stay with you. You have to be a host… I didn't think you would offer or even accept. You don't have to..."

"It's fine." Miles knew his reason for doing this was mainly to impress Phoenix, but his desire to help Maya was genuine as well. "My house is too big to live alone, anyway."


	3. Psyche

Maya stepped out of the sport red car and took Pearl's hand. They were now in front of Miles' house, no, mansion. There were iron gate and courtyard and everything, one could pretend this was in Germany. Maya knew Miles had a lot of money, but wow...

Miles unlocked the door and they stepped inside. A bark rang through the house. They placed their shoes on a shoe rack and stepped into the living room.

"You sure you live alone, Mr. Edgeworth?" Maya looked around. "If you say you're married with three kids, I'd believe you."

She felt like this place was too good to be true. Phoenix's office could be placed in the empty area alone. That's how spacious Miles' house was. And if someone said his office was too pink, they obviously had never seen his house. Maya couldn't help but notice the curtains, the walls, the leather sofas... The red wine color of this place was hard to miss.

"Your house is really red," Pearl said it for her. "... Mr. Nick calls it pink?"

"Burgundy," Miles said, sulking. Yes he was sulking and who knows Miles Edgeworth could be so cute? "You could say it is red wine. Please do not listen to Wright."

A golden retriever ran to the front door and sat there, looking at them. Miles petted her head and she wagged her tail.

Maya squealed. "Aw, you have a dog."

"Mr. Dog." Pearl raised her hands. "Can I pet you?"

"Miss, actually." Miles smiled, probably satisfied that the Feys and his dog seemed to get along. "Her name is Pess. She is friendly. Petting and scratching make her happy."

"Pess."

"Pess!"

Miles locked the front door behind them. "Because of her too friendly nature, I once called her Pest, but yes."

"That's a terrible name," Pearl said while she kept petting the dog all over.

After Miles hung his coat and placed his key where it belonged, he headed for the stairs. "Follow me. I will show you to your guest room."

They walked up the stairs to the second floor. True to her original name, Pess followed them. Their footsteps echoed throughout the house.

Miles opened the door to a room that would be the Feys' room from now on. "There are no keys to the rooms. I would never enter your room without permission or an emergency. Likewise, I ask that you respect my privacy and never enter my bedroom without permission. The bathroom is at the end of the hall. I have my own bathroom so there should be no problem."

Maya fake saluted him. "No jumping onto your bed if you haven't invited me. Got it."

The look she got from him was priceless. Miles huffed. He continued to show them other guest rooms. Yes, he had multiple. One of the rooms was decorated like a forest. A red parrot was on a wooden perch in the middle of the room.

"Hello, hello." _Squawk._

"A big bird!" Pearl pointed at the parrot.

"This is Polly. She is a macaw." Miles offered Polly his arm which the bird landed on and made herself comfortable. "I have been with her for two years now."

_Squawk._

"Ahh, I miss you a lot!" Maya faced the bird and clapped her hand. "Polly, Polly. Have we forgotten something?"

"Don't forget DL-6!" _Squawk_.

Miles sighed. "Miss Fey, that has to be your favorite question..."

"It's what could've saved your butt in court, duh." Maya walked closer to Miles and reached out to pet the bird. "Polly proved you innocent! Appreciate her a little."

"Of course," Miles petted the bird as well_. _"She was a great witness."

* * *

After Pearl had fallen asleep, Maya came down to meet Miles in the kitchen to discuss their living plan. Miles had given her the spare keys. They talked about the time tables, how late she can turn on the lights, laundry, cleaning time, etc. It shouldn't be too hard to adapt.

Miles put it like this, "As long as you use your common sense and clean after yourself, you should be fine."

The kitchen was open. Maya could see the television in the living room from here. Wine glasses were hung from above. Dishes and silverware lined in the cabinets. Maya almost thought she was in a hotel, oh wait, mansion. There's a cabinet filled with tea containers. Next to the refrigerator was the black wine refrigerator you could see in a restaurant. She took a peek inside. "You have a lot of wine."

"It is only one refrigerator," Miles said. He was sitting in the kitchen while Maya walked around.

"Of wine bottles!" Maya opened the real refrigerator this time. It was quite bare. "Do you cook?"

"Sometimes, when Franziska comes over. I do not cook for myself often." Miles thought for a moment. "However, perhaps I should get back into the habit of cooking for someone else..."

After Maya had decided her morning meal would be bread and jam, Miles turned off the lights downstairs and they went to the second floor.

In the hallway, Miles crossed his arms and started tapping his finger. It went on for a few seconds while Maya was awkwardly standing in front of him. After he had made up his mind, Miles started walking towards a door furthest from the stairs "I am not with ill intent. Rest assured."

They entered the room which Maya could immediately assume as Miles' bedroom. It was beautiful, straight out of a romance film. Red wine curtains framed the windows. Even the walls were painted in the same color. Under her feet were shiny grey marble tiles. She'd die to sleep in this bedroom...

But what really draws her attention was a neat shelf Miles was now standing in front of. On them were figurines, DVDs, art books, box sets…

"This is my collection corner," Miles said with a smile.

"Wowww." Maya bent over to look at mini figurines of Steel Samurai and Evil Magistrate in a fighting stance. The details! He owned all of this? Now they're all hers! "But wait…" She straightened up and frowned. "This is in your bedroom!"

Miles nodded. "Which means no trespassing, yes."

"Then how would I get the DVDs...?"

Miles folded an arm across his chest and looked way. "... Tell me in advance what you are interested in seeing, then I will allow you to retrieve what you desire from here."

"... I could live with that." Maya eyed collectibles with a smile. Then she looked at him and held out her hand for a shake. "I know we will have a great time together, Mr. Edgeworth."

Miles looked at her hand at her face. Maya could see confusion on his face faded as he smiled. He reached out and they shook hands. "Likewise."

* * *

Maya had learned Miles was really concerned about their well-being. Her original plan of eating bread with jam turned into a meal at the table with bread and croissants and other good looking bakery things. Pearl had bread with salad, sunny side up egg and sausage, and a glass of milk.

Turns out Miles had eaten before they even woke up and went grocery shopping earlier to prepare them a proper breakfast. Maya's inner hungry self was moved to tears, as well as her inner motherly self because Pearl was smiling and looked so happy.

"Pearls needs to have a proper meal for once," Miles said. Maya snickered, because she knew he also meant Phoenix and her.

When Miles and Maya had to leave for work, Pearl promised she would not burn the house. Miles lectured Pess and Polly not to bully Pearl and to take care of her well. He got a bark and a squawk as a reply.

Maya had the usual job of organizing paperwork, and when that was done, she had free time to do whatever she wanted. Maya usually text with Phoenix and Pearl, played Miles' DS, read those manga under the tea set, read some law books that gave her headache, read some literature which was surprisingly fun, and finally, she meditated. She found that the prosecutor's office has a certain air that benefited her connection to the dead. So she meditated.

When Miles was done for the day, they went grocery shopping. Maya made sure to bring enough ground beef and buns to make burgers for everyone. They cooked and ate in the kitchen.

Maya's favorite time has to be after dinner when they watched Steel Samurai in the living room together over a cup of cocoa and a bowl of popcorn.

"Miss Fey, what do you think about that move just now?"

"It's cool, of course," Maya said. "Why?"

Miles tapped his finger to his arm. "That move was not in the original. It is different from anything I could recall."

"Huh, interesting... Ahh I see. It's Steel Samurai's move combined with the Evil Magistrate's technique!"

"Miss Fey? How did you…?

"Steel Samurai's moves are usually… raw. But that just now had some steps that Evil Magistrate always use, like the side stepping before attacking, y'know?"

"I see… Was this chapter happening later in the timeline? Why would the Steel Samurai copy Evil Magistrate's technique…?"

"Adapt is not copy! And there might be a plot reason later, who knows…?"

Pearl put popcorn into her mouth and frowned. She didn't understand adults' conversation

* * *

Maya understood that Miles didn't have to do any of this. Maya couldn't help but thank him everytime he did something for them.

"It's no problem. I am being polite," was his usual reply. Sometimes Maya managed to make him say, "Wright would do the same if he wasn't a defense attorney."

Sometimes he even resorted to being cold, but Maya knew better. Miles was a great case of reaction formation. That is, acting in the opposite way of what he was feeling. He thought he was clever but no, Maya knew. _Unnecessary feelings? It's better have we not met?_ Pfft, if only Phoenix had not been clueless and not straight as a board… Nah, that was two years ago.

Anyway, for whatever reason, if Miles was willing to help, Maya would accept.

* * *

It was roughly like that everyday for a week. At the end of the week, Maya managed to convince Miles to eat at the noodle stand and also told Phoenix to be there. They sat at the same table and caught up with life.

Phoenix grinned. "So, how many times have Edgeworth got hit by Pearls?"

"I've never hit him!" Pearl said.

"Nah. Impossible." Phoenix slurped the noodles. "Edgeworth would do something for Maya and then Pearl would hit you no matter what."

"No, she has not," Miles said.

"She didn't," Maya said.

"I haven't done?" Pearl said.

"No, impossible…" Phoenix said. "Nope, no way."

Maya had a lot of free time at Kurain to read books. She had always been interested in psychology and human psyche in general, so that's what she studied. Psychology had saved Maya from a lot of trouble, both from spirits and clients. Maya recognized someone in a grief cycle when she saw one, and Phoenix's experiencing denial.

"What did you do, Edgeworth? Did you scold her or what? With your glare!" Anger. "No, she'd hit you at least once." That's bargain. Then he groaned in defeat. Grief. "... I guess Edgeworth has enough gentleman air, huh?" Acceptance. Phoenix was an open book. Maya wondered if he knew this about himself.

After they finished their meal, Phoenix showed them his sketchbook. He drew some people, witnesses and defendants they had met. There was Mia's desk, Charley with a Santa hat, Miles behind the prosecutor bench, Maya and Pearl eating hamburgers. And then Phoenix flipped to the page he sketched Steel Samurai characters. "What do you think? You think I can make money from these?"

Miles was speechless. Pearl was in awe.

"It's cool!" Maya said since no one else was going to. "Didn't know you're this good, Nick."

"I have a lot of free time, after all." Phoenix closed his sketchbook. "I'll probably start small, like accepting commissions from the internet…"

Then, Miles told them he needed to go on an overseas trip for a month or so.

"_I'm not running away_," Miles hissed as Phoenix narrowed his eyes at him.

"Sure. You say it's important, and I haven't said anything." Phoenix shrugged.

Miles sighed. "Had I known, I would have waited until after this to invite them to my house. Anyway, I should be back in March. Maya and Pearls would have to be at your office… I could compensate for their meals…"

"No no! It's okay," Phoenix said. "I'm not that broke. They'll stay at my office, just like old times."

They might not say it out loud, but Maya knew Phoenix and Miles didn't want her to be alone. It had been two weeks since the Hazakura case. Maya wasn't sure if she was feeling better or worse, if having nightmares and feeling guilty and empty was a normal thing and that she should endure it for now. At least, she wasn't in denial or bargaining. She was grieving, and it would pass.

* * *

They sent Miles off at the airport and went to Phoenix's office. Maya and Pearl hadn't been here for a week. It felt like a long time.

Charley was healthy! The couch was clean! Maya jumped onto the couch. Comfy trusty couch…

Phoenix cleared his throat behind her. Then he told her to follow Pearl to the bedroom.

Maya opened the door and turned on the switch. She took a sharp breath. There was now a mattress next to Pearl's bed. Maya loved sleeping on a mattress. It reminded her of Kurain.

"I'm sorry for… you know what," Phoenix said. "So hope you like it… and have a good night's rest from now on."

Maya tackled him into a hug. She was never angry with him. The couch wasn't bad, and he didn't know about her nightmares. He needed to save money, and letting her stay at the office was already a lot.

The next day, Maya chose to tag along with Phoenix to visit Iris. They walked to the prison. It's early morning so it wasn't too hot and both of them were used to walking and were in no hurry. Phoenix stopped at the flower shop along the way to get what he had already ordered.

"Sunflowers? Not bad," Maya said as Phoenix walked out of the shop.

"It's something I know, and it's bright." Phoenix grinned with the sunflower bouquet in his arms. "Like my badge."

It was a short silence. Phoenix kept glancing at her, then he asked, "How is living with Edgeworth? You didn't give him any trouble, yeah?"

She decided to tease him a bit. "Not much I think."

"Maya…"

"Just kidding! Pearly and I stayed in the same room. He made dinner. The kitchen is great. Fluffy dog! Do you know he lives in a mansion?"

"I'm sure it's just a big house."

"No, Nick, a mansion," Maya said. "You don't know what you're missing out on."

"It's bigger than my office and all pink and there's wine and Steel Samurai, right?"

"Uh… yep." Maya accepted her defeat. "His _house_ is nice. We binged so many older Steel Samurai episodes together, all three of us. Pearly's growing on him, I can tell." Maya smiled. Seeing Miles bonding with Pearl was one of the best things she had ever witnessed. "And he loves his animals."

Miles loved Pess and Polly more than most people in his life. He said he walked Pess every day in the morning and sometimes he would come across Gumshoe and Missile. When Polly was free flying in the park, she'd met some new parrot friends and their owners. It's funny how Miles surrounded himself with animals.

The same way Nick surrounded himself with younger kids. Maya chuckled. That included herself, yes, and Edgeworth.

"Anyway, we had a great time! Unlike you, Nick, we are young and enthusiastic."

Phoenix narrowed his eyes. "Edgeworth and I are the same age."

"Yet he never acts like a grumpy old man! Talking to him feel like talking to a kindred spirit... and not, well… a grumpy old man."

"But he and I are… Wait, you think Edgeworth's heart is younger than me?" Phoenix waved his hand in the air between them. "Isn't it usually the other way around? With grey hair and a scowl and everything?"

"You got it all wrong, Nick. You gotta look at the heart! Edgeworth is young and full of life..."

* * *

When Iris sat in front of them and picked up the receiver, Phoenix greeted her and pressed the bouquet to the glass panel. Iris placed her hand on the glass where the flowers were on the other side. And they smiled.

Maya watched them with a content smile. They were oh so obviously in love. If someone didn't know that fact, they would immediately know after seeing how they interact.

"Yeah, Iris. Maya thinks someone with grey hair and in need of glasses soon has a younger heart than me! Am I that old?"

"You are only a year older than me." Iris smiled. "If you're old, then we're old together!"

Phoenix had an idiotic grin. "... See that, Maya? See that?"

"Sureee, Nick, sure. I witness your undying love for each other and I'll be the best man at the wedding."


	4. Success

**A/N: A bit of Aai and aai2 spoilers. It's pretty vague, but just in case.**

* * *

Winter had ended, and Maya's mood was better. It was in the middle of March when Miles called and said that he was going to be back this afternoon. Maya and Pearl went grocery shopping using the money Miles had left them with. They entered his house using a spare key, ran up the stairs to their room, and jumped into their bed.

"Can't believe I miss this place so much..." Maya said to the mattress. Pearl nodded. Unlike at Phoenix's office, Maya and Pearl slept on the same bed here. Maya had to admit she slept better in this room.

Maya lay on her back and looked at the ceiling. She couldn't imagine how it would have been like for Miles. He thought he was guilty for years… Maya had nightmares from time to time, but it's not every day. She was getting better anyway… She's fine.

Miles was supposed to come back in the afternoon, but he arrived when the sun was setting. He was quiet. He walked into the kitchen, sat at the table, buried his face in his hands, and groaned.

"Mr. Edgeworth?" Maya called him as she poured him a glass of water. "Welcome home. You seem tired. Is it the jet lag?"

"... There's a dead body in the elevator…" came a muffled reply.

"Oh, a body in the trunk of your car wasn't enough, huh." Maya realized that wasn't helping. "It's still a nice car! I like it. And uh… I hope the next time you use an elevator, there won't be a dead body..."

Maya knew it must be terrible, to have the wound rip open in such a way. She had a feeling that thunderstorms would bring her bad memories. Good thing the raining season wasn't here yet.

Minutes passed before Miles looked up at her and sighed. "Franziska will arrive here shortly."

"What!?" Maya gasped. "Franzy von Karma? Here? Now?"

"In an hour," Miles slowly stood up. "Can you cook something else that aren't burgers?"

"Typical Japanese things," Maya said. She was not offended by that question. Franziska was probably sick of 'American things' and Maya had made burgers only yesterday. "Onigiri and gyoza… and matcha tea. I plan to make those at some point so there're ingredients in the fridge! And your meal? How fancy is it...?"

"Franziska is not complex. She is perfect. There's a difference." Miles opened the refrigerator. "There are potatoes, so Kartoffelpuffer… and I am aware this is pathetic, but Bratwurst should be acceptable."

Maya blinked. "What."

"You'll see." Miles smiled. "Let's do our best to make perfect meals for a perfect Interpol prosecutor."

While Maya chopped onions and Miles told her to chop a bit more for him too, Maya saw him mashing potato and preparing sausages. Hmm, so that's what he was making, fried potatoes and grilled sausages.

Maya placed a pleated crescent dumpling down on a tray. She enjoyed making gyoza. Making them one by one to look like each other. Some of them will be fried twice the traditional way. Some of them will be cooked above the steam. She made more dumplings than they needed that night. The rest could be frozen and eaten later.

And making onigiri wasn't hard. There're rice and seaweed sheets. She could make fillings from salmon and mayonnaise. Mold them in the shape of a triangle. Cover them in seaweed sheets. Perfect. Miles wasn't going to open a wine bottle today so she let Pearl prepared tea.

An hour later, the guest arrived with a "Miles Edgeworth, your guest room better not have feathers or dog fur." Franziska looked into the kitchen and stared at Maya for a few seconds, then she went up the stairs.

"... She doesn't hate me, right?" Maya asked.

"No, she does not." Miles arranged the food into dishes. "I might not know exactly how she will approach you, but she does not hold a grudge against you. That, I assure you."

The meal was served a few minutes later and they sat around the kitchen table.

Franziska scrutinized the dishes for a moment before she put the potato pancake into her mouth. "... Hmph. Not bad, little brother."

Miles let out a breath. Both Miles and Franziska were tired from their investigations. There was food in front of them. They wouldn't be picky. Unlike with German dishes, Franziska ate Maya's Japanese dishes with fascination. That's good, really good. Maya was happy and proud of herself.

When Maya raised a cup of tea to her mouth, she thought she saw Miles smiling at her, but it was probably her imagination.

* * *

"What is your plan in life, Maya Fey?"

Maya opened the door to see Franziska in front of her room. "You wake up early..."

"Miles Edgeworth is walking his dog. Your cousin is sleeping. Follow me."

Franziska led her to the couch in the living room. It's like she's the house's owner herself. "Maya Fey, what do you plan to do with your life?"

"Huh?" Maya yawned, ready to fall asleep on the couch. "I don't know, keep training and be the Master when I'm ready?"

"When will you be ready?"

"Why? Does it have to be now?"

"Mia Fey was a skillful defense attorney."

Maya sat up straighter at that. "You're comparing me to my Sis?"

Franziska crossed her arms. Now Maya could see she was nervous. "Miles Edgeworth is my foolish little brother, and I will compete with him in my own way." Franziska's voice became gentle as she said, "Maya Fey, you couldn't do that."

Maya frowned. "I know."

"What would you do?"

"Become the Master…"

"I want to tell you… you don't have to." Franziska's hands played with the whip. "The same way I don't have to only be a prosecutor, but a part of Interpol… You can be a spirit medium in your own way. You don't have to be a lawyer. You don't have to help the police."

The speech itself was direct, but it's the intention that counts. "Is that supposed to be an inspirational message? Thanks, Franzy."

Franziska huffed and looked away. "I wish you find your success. Miles Edgeworth is worried about you."

"Edgeworth? Why would he?"

"Silly question, Maya fey."

Franziska waited until Miles was back before taking her leave. Miles went to work alone. His work was too complicated to bring her along.

Maya sank into the couch. It might not seem like it to them, but she had been thinking about her future. Maya had to be the Master before Pearl could be one, if she wants to be one at all.

It's not something Pearl needed to think about. She's still a child.

Since Maya had free time today, she invited Pearl and Phoenix to a boat ride at Gatewater Land. It was finished last month and she was excited. Being on a boat reminded her of Yanni Yogi and Miles. It was in that case that Phoenix promised they would ride a boat someday. Maya wondered if Miles was okay with riding a boat again anytime soon… Also, if he was okay with seeing badgers…

Miles came home with a sigh. "Proto Badger hit me on the head."

"Oh," Maya said.

* * *

The next day, Miles called her in the morning. There's a dead body in his office and the investigation was completed a minute ago. Maya was glad he called her for moral support. She didn't know he valued her friendship that much. Miles seemed like the type to figure and deal with things alone… That sounded sad. He's too lonely! But at least he had a great hobby.

At the end, he added, "At least, my Steel Samurai figurine was spared of any harm… and I am alive. That's good. I hope the rest of my day could be spent in peace."

That wasn't what happened, because that evening, which was almost morning actually, Miles came back home really really miserable and Maya could smell ink and smoke from him. He went straight to the kitchen and collapsed on the table.

"The building burns. Gumshoe ran through fire. My friend almost got accused of murder. Larry is the Steel Samurai… the Pink Princess… Extraterritorial rights… Extraterritorial rights!"

"Ummm." Maya couldn't remember the last time Miles was this exhausted both physically and mentally. "You okay?"

"No. No, I need a rest."

Maya had walked around this house before. There wasn't a bedroom on the first floor. The closet to a sleeping place was the couch in the living room, which Miles had walked passed and headed to the kitchen instead. If it's Maya, she would flop down on the couch in front of the TV. All his pink couches seemed comfy.

Maya managed to drag Miles to his own bedroom and wished him goodnight before shutting the door. Wow, she thought only defense attorneys had tough days…

She yawned. She had been waiting for him to come home. The sun was about to rise soon. She should also sleep.

* * *

Miles prosecuted in the trial of that case, and of course he won. Maya watched in the gallery. He was, well, perfect. He proved everything in seconds. He was prepared. He knew the truth.

In the lobby, Maya met with Gumshoe. Two people were talking to Miles.

"That's Kay. She's our friend!" Gumshoe said. "And that wolf guy's… kind of Mr. Edgeworth's friend."

Maya walked to them and the girl gave her a smile.

"I'm Mr. Edgeworth's assistant!" The girl named Kay said. "And a friend."

"I'm Edgeworth's assistant too!" Maya clapped her hands. "And a friend!"

And they became friends.

* * *

Miles was busy lately, so Maya spent time with Pearl at home. Pearl had her own study system and Maya helped her through it. Maya read some psychology books in her free time and meditated in the garage next to Miles' red car. The atmosphere there helped her connect to the spirit world.

Maya followed the news regularly. It was weird to see Miles in a newspaper, no matter how often he was in it. Solving a presidential assassination attempt?

After that was a time where everything seemed to slow down. Miles had a problem with the elders or something along the line, and his friend was in trouble. He refused to say anything about it, but Maya knew it was big. She could only give him encouragement and some homemade meals.

Eventually, he solved everything. And Miles had become so… matured? Maya wasn't sure how to describe his confidence and a satisfied smile every time he talked about bringing the truth to light. And he bragged that he went to Global Studios!

The next day, Maya read the newspaper headline and almost spat out her tea.

"You… er…" Maya pointed at the paper. "You really… Is this true?"

Miles was smiling. "Unfortunately, yes. It was a long story."

Maya looked him over for a long time. "Maybe you're as indestructible as Nick."

"I doubt it."

Kay wanted them to meet and celebrate, so Maya suggested her favorite burger joint for dinner. Miles rolled his eyes but he was eager to go there, she could tell.

At the table, Gumshoe and Kay were already there. And the wolf guy! As soon as Miles and Maya took their seats, Kay started telling her tales of being Miles' assistant and friend.

Gumshoe kept telling them how awesome 'Mr. Edgeworth' was. Miles had his face buried in his hands the whole time and the wolf guy poured him a shot of whiskey for his 'pretty boy'. Was that even allowed in a burger joint? As for Kay...

"... so he said Nghooooooh…" Kay trailed off. "Then he pulled out a spare cravat and put it around his neck in three seconds! With one hand. But that one's old! My favorite is when he glared at a dog..."

Miles drank the shot he was offered.

Eating burgers with these people made Maya happy. They were all Miles' friend and were such good people. Maya was glad that other people enjoyed being with Miles too. He had a lot to learn, and it seemed he had learned a lot.

Maya considered him graduated.


	5. Cheer

**A/N: The Fey lore part was pretty fun and I may have gotten carried away with headcanons a little. (and yes it's not related to the plot at all but it's fun) When will be the day I stop going heavy with dialogue and write more actions instead? Huh I wonder**

**Assume some time has passed after last chapter and this one, maybe half a month.**

* * *

purpleburgers: edgeworth wanna visit iris

purpleburgers: said hes free tomorrow noon

purpleburgers: i think he wanna be the best man nick

purpleburgers: hes stealing my job

purpleburgers: dont let him

Nick: oh this is hard… It's either you or Edgeworth

purpleburgers: memememee

Nick: you can be Iris' maid of honor or sth

Nick: btw I think Iris likes Edgeworth

Nick: they seem to get along

purpleburgers: they both like you duh

Nick: well isn't that nice to know? I'm a popular old man

Nick: you know what I mean Maya

* * *

Maya sat at the kitchen table with Miles as he poured a second glass of white wine for himself.

He was like that after visiting Iris with Phoenix.

Maya scanned inside the refrigerator. Maybe some cheese would go along with white wine so she picked that up and chopped them into pieces. She found crackers in a cabinet so she put that into the dish too, and got herself a wine glass while she's at it.

"You don't wanna tell me, huh?" Maya took a seat across him and let Miles poured her a glass too. Even with food on the table, he still wasn't saying anything. "Sorry. I hope you feel better. You can also talk to me. It might help."

Miles sipped his wine. "What do you think about Iris?"

"Iris?" Maya put some soft cheese into her mouth. Delicious. "... She's a sweet girl. We've sorted everything out, forgiving each other for everything we may have blamed each other for. I know I'm having mixed feelings right now, but I don't hate her, definitely not! She's a good person at heart, just like Nick. Two months is enough time to forgive."

"But not to forget…"

Miles was saying that to himself. Maya won't blame him for it. It still rings true for both of them.

He finally picked the snack and ate it. That's a start. "What about Wright?"

"Nick?" Maya sipped her wine and winced. It's not as sweet as what she had with Phoenix after winning a case. "Nick, huh… He's a dork. Stupid, bluffing to eternity, terrible at cooking and really like to clean the bathroom."

Miles frowned. "Is that all...?"

"Nope, nope, no third glass for you." Maya grabbed the wine bottle from Miles' hand and stood up to put it in the wine refrigerator. "So you have opinions on Nick? Tell me some."

"... I think he is... simple to a fault." Miles had nothing to drink and ate crackers instead. "Too kind. He doesn't even care if he could save himself."

"Well, yeah." Maya nodded. "But the good thing is he can't seem to die no matter what. And he has money to spare for burgers. That's always a plus."

Miles looked at her. "I can't help but see you have such a low opinion on my _friend_."

"Friends burn each other, that's a part of life." Maya was surprised Miles called Phoenix a friend out loud. He never did that. Is it the alcohol talking...?

After a moment, Miles spoke up, "Wright and Iris are in a relationship."

"Oh, I see." Maya put cheese on top of a piece of cracker. "I think that's one reason why Nick sent me to you."

Miles raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Nick can't live with a girl forever when he has a woman to pursue. That'd be weird."

Miles went quiet. He was giving it some serious thought. "You live in his office, not together."

"It's just my intuition." Maya shrugged. "He also wants to make Pearly stop thinking Nick and I are destined partner… oops, special someones, I mean."

"Wright wants Pearls to change her idea…" Miles narrowed his eyes. "... by showing that he does not want you to stay at the office?"

"Something like that, yeah." Maya couldn't think of any other reasons why Phoenix wanted her to move here. She had to admit this place was great. It was refreshing after staying at the office for three years.

Miles looked at her again with those eyes. His expression was hard to read. "What about you? Are you sad that Wright has chased you away?"

"What? No way." Maya bit on that cracker. "I get his reason. He needs to save money… I know I've taken quite a lot for him. I shouldn't have."

"So you realize." Miles paused and shook his head. "... I apologize... You have helped Wright a lot and he cares about you."

"Yeah..." Phoenix was like a brother to her, with the way he acted so much like Mia sometimes. "Still, I feel like I'm just wasting his money away."

"So you realize." This time Miles didn't say sorry. He glared at her. "And now, you are wasting my money away."

"Very funny, Edgeworth. You have too much money to spend alone." Maya ate the last piece of cheese. He had switched from the miserable mode to the angry mode. "Anyway, let's go do something you like tomorrow, like finding even more animals and adopt them. We can help make up its name! It'd be fun…"

"It sounds ridiculous."

"That's why it's fun, no?" Maya grinned. "Trust me. You'll enjoy it. Let's go somewhere! Promise?"

Miles didn't look too happy when he said, "Sure..."

Maya finished her glass, then she reached out for Miles' empty glass. "But before that, you should take a shower and get a good night's sleep. You can head to your own room, right?"

"Don't tell me what to do." Miles stood up and headed for the stairs. He mumbled something under his breath. "_... Stop being good to me…"_

Maya watched him climbing up the stairs. What an obvious sign of a heartbroken man...

She smiled to herself with renewed determination. Tomorrow is for cheering him up!

* * *

After a morning walk with Pess and Polly, Miles was waiting for her in the living room. Aside from letting Pess and Polly out, which he had already done, he wanted nothing but to curl up in bed…

… or a long shower…

… but a bed is better.

She insisted he went outside with her, though. Miles wasn't sure what kind of trouble he had gotten himself into, but a promise was a promise.

He doubted he would feel better, but she can try.

A few minutes later, Maya ran down the stairs. "Oh you're here! Breakfast?"

Miles raised the bag in his hand. "I bought us burgers."

"Ah thank you so much!" Maya snatched the bag from his hand and peeked inside. They're burgers from her favorite place. "Thank you thank you! I thought you'd hate me after last night."

"What?" Miles was genuinely surprised. "No. No, I wouldn't. Of course not..."

Maya wagged her finger. "Hmph. That does not make me forget about the way you acted to me!"

Miles caught on to that and smiled. "Sorry. It won't happen again… or should I? If you are going to serve cheese with crackers and wine…"

"Oh no you won't."

Maya walked into the kitchen. Miles followed her and set burgers on the table. Maya was holding up a kettle. "Do you want tea?"

Miles had sat and picked a fork and a knife. And now she's making tea? He thought burgers would have priority above all. Also, she'd never asked him if he wanted her to prepare tea for him. They drank different kinds of tea.

Maya shoved the matcha tea bag into his face. "I said, do youu wanttt teaaaa?"

"Um, yes please." At least to get the tea out of his face.

"Okay." Maya backed away. "Observe, as the to-be-Master makes a cup of spiritually enhanced traditional tea for you null, generic beings."

Miles wasn't sure if she should be trusted to make tea, to use his kettle, or to do something spirit related in his house, or all of the above. She was eccentric, jumpy, hyper… but he quickly changed his mind. The way she prepared tea leaves, or when she placed the cup in front of her, or how she pours boiling water...

She was graceful. She's… beautiful.

_What's wrong with you today?_ Miles scolded himself.

_The better question is to ask what went wrong before this. _One part of Miles spoke up. _Phoenix already having a partner. Phoenix planning a future with someone else. Phoenix never admiring you the same way you admire him._

That hurts.

_And now you're leaping for the next target right away! Miles Edgeworth, how socially repressed are you?_

_Phoenix doesn't love her!_

_She's your friend._

_Phoenix is taken so she is available!_

_She is grieving._

_She is getting better and she is available!_

_She's going to be the Master at Kurain!_

… _Well._

_Maya Fey is a grieving friend who will be gone._

_Away, to Kurain._

_It doesn't matter now, does it?_

Miles sighed. It's still morning and he was already fighting with his thoughts.

"Tea!"

Maya's voice and a thud made him looked up. A cup of tea was placed in front of him.

Miles looked into the cup with steam rising, somehow reminding him of Kurain village on the mountain. "I can't help but remember you mentioning something about spirits."

"Ah, it's safe! Don't worry." Maya grinned. "It has my spiritual energy in it. Think of it as an energy drink!"

Tea enhanced by spiritual energy? How absurd would things around him go when surrounded by the Feys? Miles braced himself and took a sip. It… tastes normal. It tasted like green tea. Miles drank more tea from Europe than the Asian ones, but he had to admit this cup of matcha green tea was perfectly made.

"Or morphine."

His hand froze. "... What."

"It's just an example!" Maya quickly added. "You see, people like me, spiritual energy is power, and having power can make you feel powerful."

That statement was informative.

"Umm, how to say this…" Maya took a seat and took a bite of her burgers. "Delicious… When a spirit medium doesn't have much power, she can't channel someone at all. When she gets more power, she could channel someone in her family or someone close in her life. When she trains to a certain point, she could channel anyone with a name and a basic description of said person."

_Fraudulent_, a part of him shouted. Miles knew the spirit channeling technique was real-

_Edgeworth. You'll understand someday. And then, you'll see that the Kurain Channeling Technique is real._

-but a part of him would never forgive, it seemed. This might be as Maya had put it, having mixed feelings. Feelings could be irrational and do not define a person.

"Let's say, if I need to channel someone I don't know and I don't have enough power, Pearly could lend me some and I will be able to. But of course it wouldn't make sense since Pearly can just do it for me, but you get the idea." Maya was halfway through her second piece of burgers. Miles hadn't reached half. "It's like a dose of caffeine or a shot of dopamine, yeah?"

Miles nodded. "If people in your family can increase their spiritual energy by this method, why do you need to train?"

"Because like how an energy drink gives you a short boost, it can't replace actually exercising!" Maya said. Miles had to praise her for a good metaphor. "It's like taking drugs! It can be addicting to have so much power with little effort, but it's not good in the long run. Also, spiritual energy needs to come from a person. Why would someone give away their own for free? This transferring technique is to let trainee feels what's it like to have spiritual energy so they have motivation and train harder. You know, like dangling a carrot in front of a house."

"What do you mean by 'it's not good in the long run'?" Miles asked. He found himself curious about the Fey lore. "What if a spirit medium depends on this spiritual tea and never train?"

"Then she will lose her power forever and will become a null, generic being." Maya ate the last bit of her burgers. She had always been a quick eater. "Don't worry, Edgeworth, you're fine! No consequence. No side effects. Trust me."

Miles took a few more sips. "Now that I am drinking this spiritually enhanced tea… What now?"

"You'll have a bit of spiritual energy for a while. I bet you could use a charged magatama!"

Miles furrowed his eyebrows. "I was able to use Wright's magatama in the Hazakura case. I do not remember drinking any tea."

"That one's charged by Pearly." Maya smiled. "She always has talent. Her power's so strong that any user can borrow some of its power." She touched her own magatama at her neck. "If I were the one who charged, you and Nick won't be able to use it... and I think it won't be strong enough to see locks and chains. Maybe it could detect lies, but that's it."

Miles finished the tea, feeling like he had just taken dangerous drugs. She said it wasn't dangerous, but still... "You need to have enough spiritual energy to use spiritual objects."

"Uhhuh. You learn fast!" Maya pointed at her magatama. "Wanna try?"

He had no reason to unlock someone's heart, or at least whatever weaker version of psycholocks. "No thanks."

"Aww, okay."

Miles collected the burger containers and threw them away. "Now, I remember you said you have plans for us."

* * *

The public park was not too far from Miles' house. Normally, he would use a car to travel this distance, but both of them were in no hurry today. Miles was used to walking up and down the stairs. Maya was used to walking in the forest. So they walked.

The park was not crowded. They walked along the path that should loop in this park. Maya spotted an ice cream vendor and challenged him on a sprint race. She ran without a warning, leaving him behind.

Miles followed her by jogging. Running to an ice cream shop made you looked ridiculous, and childish, unless you're Maya because you'll look _endearing_. Maya could pull it off as being an energetic person and not an idiotic adult. Miles would not risk it.

"Hmm…" When they arrived at the ice cream vendor, Maya bent over the menu. "Blueberry? Cheesecake? Oh wait, there's green tea!"

Maya picked green tea flavor and Miles ordered choco banana. One scoop on an ice cream cone. Miles hadn't had something like this in a long time.

"Huh, unexpected," Maya said as they continued on the path.

"What did you expected?" Miles asked.

Maya eyed the ice cream cone in his hand. "You ordering vanilla?"

"I enjoy many flavors. Why would you even think that?"

"You seem like someone who's 'old schooled'?" Maya rubbed her chin with a free hand.

_Oh, she's the one to talk?_

"... Actually, nah. Vanilla is for good people. You're kind of a villain."

_What is that supposed to mean?_

"It means you almost send me to death row, thank you very much." Maya finished the ice cream. She read his mind… How could she say something so heavy in such a light-hearted manner...?

"I apologize."

Maya blinked. "That's okay. I mean, you've changed!"

No, that's not it. "I really thought you were the murderer."

Maya stopped walking, so he stopped too. "What do you mean? Is it because of my name on the slip?"

"No." Miles sighed. He didn't like the Fey clan much back then, but he had read about it for the case. "The older sister of the main family is usually the one to be the Master, so I thought…" He looked at Maya. "I thought you killed Mia Fey to secure yourself the Master position."

"Oh." Maya frowned. "Oh, right. Anyone would think I want to be the Master. Even Aunt Morgan thinks so."

"And you don't?"

"Not enough to kill, trust me. Sis never wanted to be the Master. I think I'm the same."

"I'm sorry."

"And you've made a full circle. Come on, let's keep walking." Maya then stared at his melting ice cream. "Eat it before I do."

Miles took big bites out of the cone. Some people might get brain freeze from this, but he had no problem. He never had. The ice cream was gone in seconds. It was great. His hands weren't dirty...

Next to him, Maya was looking at his hand.

"Hmmm." She extended her hand. "Wanna hold hands while we walk?"

"What?" Miles folded an arm across his chest. "Isn't it something between female friends… or for lovers…?"

Maya pouted, hands at her hips. "Boo! What a narrowed mind! Friends can hold hands."

"Is- Is that so?"

"Yep, of course." Maya sent him a knowing grin. "I bet you've never hold hand with someone while walking through a park, huh?"

Miles' gaze dropped to the floor. "There was Phoenix… once."

The knowing grin stayed. "Only once, huh?"

"And my father."

It was gone. Maya pursed her lips. She eyed him for a few seconds. "And no more after that?"

"No more."

Maya became quiet. Miles preferred it this way. For now.

After a minute, she extended her hand again. Her facial expression was… Pity? No. Guilty? No... Understanding.

"I guess I can be the first person you hold hand after an eighteen years hiatus."

Just like her typical self. Maya Fey always has absurd ideas.

Miles never understood why he gave her his hand.

They kept walking. Maya was swinging their hands back and forth.

Miles knew she was trying to cheer him up. It's as if she knows. Maybe she knows. It doesn't matter. Phoenix was someone he admired, not someone to pursue. He's a friend and that was the best that could happen.

Why was she trying to cheer him up? It was not her business whether he was well or not. She did it anyway.

Like when she confronted Lotta. Or when she snatched the bullet. He's not her business. They weren't even friends at that time… were they?

He had no idea. He appreciated it all the same.


	6. Mercy

**A/N: Expect a few months break from me, assuming I can keep myself from writing even though I'm busy. That part is always hard. But I _should_ be busy.**

**As in, I should not procrastinate by writing.****.. That's the hard part.**

* * *

They walked around the park, Maya swinging their joined hands back and forth. She had never expected him to relent. But this was good, so it's okay.

Already, Maya noticed that Miles' mood was improving. Was it the sugar rush or the hand-holding? Doesn't matter. She knew she was doing a good job cheering him up. Still, there's one more thing that would make him feel even better.

If only there was a stray animal for him to adopt-

_Meow._

Miles halted. Maya looked around.

_Meoww._

It was to their right, hidden somewhere in the bushes.

Miles walked in the direction of the meowing, pushing leaves and branches in his way until they saw a box on the floor next to a tree.

There's a cat, a black cat with yellow eyes, can't be more than a year old, sitting in a too-small cardboard box that said 'adopt me'. Miles knelt down to check for the cat's injury and sighed in relief. Maya assumed he found none.

_Meowww._

Miles shook his head. "When I was young, Larry, Phoenix, and I once found a pomeranian on the street. My father decided to take care of him."

"Where's the dog now?" Maya asked.

"… Who knows."

Needless to say the dog didn't go to Germany too.

And by now… She shouldn't have asked.

"Now, what do we do?" Maya observed the cat. It seemed friendly enough, and scared, but that was understandable. Miles let the cat sniff his hand, and it headbutted his knuckles and purred.

Miles picked up the box with the cat still in it. "Follow me."

They walked back to the park exit. Maya offered to hold the box, but Miles insisted he did it himself. The cat meowed a lot less after being picked up. Maya guessed it was lonely. Poor cat.

"What's the plan?" Maya asked after they reached the exit. There's more people on the street than when they first arrived here and the sun was higher.

"We should go for a vet for a basic checkup," Miles said. "It is a short walk from here."

They started walking. Maya chuckled. "Of course you would know where all animal clinics are..."

"All stray animals should be checked and vaccinated before being accepted into a home. It could have Feline Leukemia or Feline Aids. If it is healthy, then… maybe it would get along with Pess."

Maya gaped. It was her plan, but it was supposed to be a joke. Adoption is a big deal, animals included! "You're… Really?"

"Why are you looking at me like that? I'm not heartless." As if out of spite, Miles increased his pace. So he's not above passive aggressive.

Maya ran after him. "Yeah, I know! But I thought you wouldn't want more responsibility or something. I mean, you travel a lot."

"Gumshoe takes care of my companions while I am away." Miles slowed down for her. She panted, and he was smirking!

After they turned at a corner, Maya asked, "So, what's the name?"

_Meow. _Miles looked down. "Of this cat?"

"Yeah! Let's brainstorm some." Maya hummed. "Yanni? Karma?"

Miles cringed and spluttered, funny that it's both at the same time. "Wha- what? No! No no no no no- That's…" He shook his head. "That is a bad idea."

"Is it that bad?"

Miles, who couldn't cross his arms right now, tightened his grip on the cardboard box. "I would never participate in the ritual of naming someone after your ancestors."

"But your full name's Miles Gregory Edgeworth!"

"... I guess that's the only exception," Miles said. "Anyway, I would not name living things using names of people I know. It's… disturbing."

"Well, I can see that. Franzy's cousin has a dog called Phoenix, right?"

"Don't remind me."

"No Franziska the cat. What a waste."

"Trust me, you don't want to try."

"And here I thought I could get away with Maymil."

Miles turned to look at her. "What?"

"Maymil!" Maya clasped her hands together. "I just came up with it. Cute, huh?" She grinned. She couldn't wait for when he gets it. "Do you want Milaya instead? Or Mayles?

There was silence as Miles tried to figure out the names.

Realization struck him soon enough.

"… wait…" Miles blushed and looked away. Cute. "Miss Fey! That's absurd!"

Her good mood vanished at the remark. She frowned. _Maya Fey will remember that. _"If it is _that _bad, then there's still Edgeworth Junior or Manfred the Second."

Miles didn't just increase his pace this time. He ran. Passive aggressive had turned into obviously aggressive. Maya huffed and ran after him. How _dare _he called her greatest creation as absurd? Maya caught up with him after a while. She could see he was out of breath too.

A minute passed, then he said, "I may have overreacted."

"Okay." Duh. That's as close to a sorry as Maya would get from him. "Doesn't mean I'm not mad."

"The name was weird-"

"I could name him 'If-Christ-Had-Not-Died-for-Thee-Thou-Hads't-Been-Damned' and I'm not kidding."

"No."

"Then accept that it's not that bad of a name!"

Miles grabbed his arm. He was quiet for a moment. "... I apologize, okay?"

Huh. Maya didn't expect that. She couldn't stay angry when he was forward with his feelings. "Never say it again, _or else_."

"I did not mean to hurt your feelings," Miles said. "However, it is weird to have my own name as someone else's, and I stand by that statement even if it is only part of my name."

"Then I should modify it so it becomes even more unrecognizable, right?" Maya saw his eyebrow twitched. Then she got an idea. "Mercy Honorsword!"

Miles blinked. "What."

"The cat's name. Think about it. It's perfect."

* * *

They arrived at the clinic. The cat was a male. When the veterinarian asked for the name of the cat, Maya answered, "Mercy."

It was an interesting name, the veterinarian said, and Maya laughed with him. Stray cats are at the mercy of society, yeah? Miles chuckled. Guess he secretly likes the name!

They went to a pet shop. He seemed happier walking through rows of animal products. Maya could understand. She loved looking at hamster wheel and a fishbowl, that sort of thing. Miles bought products for cats, beef jerky and bird treats and they went home.

Maya had to wait in front of the door as Miles went in his house first to keep Pess and Polly away as to not panic Mercy. After that was done, Mercy was escort to his new place. Yet one more room was turned into an animal room. How many rooms does he have to spare? Five?

As much as Maya wanted to cuddle the cat in her bed, Miles said that the cat needed his alone time in his room to adapt. Maya taught Pearl and herself about taking care of a cat. Pearl looked forward to playing with him.

* * *

Another evening in the living room watching Steel Samurai. The addition to the usual was Pearl playing with the cat. She was old enough to be with animals, and she treated Pess and Polly just fine.

"Uncle Miles? Why do you adopt Mercy?" Pearl asked one day. Yes, Maya managed to make Pearl stopped calling him Mr. Ed-ji-werth. It was painful to both Miles and Maya's ears. And for whatever reason, Miles decided that having a young child call him mister was too formal, and then decided that Uncle Edgeworth was also too formal.

"Well," Miles said. "He needed help, and I happened to be there."

"You sounds like Mr. Nick!" Pearl said.

"Um, thanks." Poor guy. He's so awkward when receiving complement. He considered that a compliment anyway. Miles changed the subject by glancing at Maya. "By the way, why did you name him Mercy?"

Maya grinned. "I'm surprised you don't ask about the Honorsword part?"

"That one's… obvious enough. You're messing with me." Miles crossed his arms. "Answer the question."

"Figure it out yourself!" Maya was smiling. "But whatever, we're keeping the name."

* * *

Even with their date at the park and him adopting a cat, Maya could tell Miles was still hung up on Phoenix. She knew what to suggest, and she suggested it over dinner. "Let's visit Iris tomorrow."

"Yay!" Pearl said and shoved some German food she couldn't named into her mouth. "... I miss her. I'm going too!"

Miles wasn't as sure. "Should I? It's only been a few days for me…"

"Why not? Nick wouldn't mind-" She saw his mouth moving and continued. "-and you gotta drive us anyway. I haven't seen them in, like, a month? Two months? And Pearly has never!"

"... I understand. I have no choice." Miles murmured and stabbed a piece of dumpling. "I will accompany you for the visit."

He wasn't happy about that, Maya thought. But it's for the better.

For someone like Miles, distancing himself wouldn't work. He would overthink instead. He needed to see the evidence one more time. And maybe had a talk with with Phoenix.

Maya and Pearl would like to visit Iris anyway, so it's a win-win.


	7. One

**A/N: I'm dropping this here and will finally drop off the face of the Earth.**

**These are all pretty much first draft, yep. Confusing to read? Yep. A lot of dialogue? I attempted to tone it down a little bit, but old habits die hard. Does this feel rushed? Totally.**

* * *

Miles dreaded coming back to this place so soon, for one obvious reason.

The security guard gave Phoenix a little nod and escorted them inside. Phoenix must come here often. In the visiting room, Iris was already sitting there with a receiver. Phoenix took a seat while the Feys stood behind him. Pearl started talking about the cat immediately. Maya kept Phoenix and Iris updated about Pearl's education and Kurain business.

Kurain Village needs a Master as soon as possible, huh…

Miles stood back and let them talk. He wondered, why did Phoenix invite him to visit Iris the first time back then? Why was his name on Iris' visitor list, even? Miles had nothing to do with her except for the case which was only for a short while.

Pearl continued to gush about how cute the animals in Miles' house were. The rest could only listen fondly for her enthusiasm. Phoenix nodded along. "So, anything fun that I still don't know about?"

"We should be asking you, Nick!" Maya winked. "Anything fun we don't know about?"

"But Maya..." Phoenix shared a look with Iris, then he yelped. Maya was nudging Phoenix with her elbow.

"Nickk, say it, say it! What are you afraid of? None! So say it!"

Phoenix scratched his head with a sheepish grin. "Iris… You know I'm saving money real hard right now, yeah? And when you're out… I hope that you will have a place to stay. With me." Maya nudged him one more time. Phoenix sat up straighter. "... Who knows how long it will take or if we need to go into debt to afford a house, but whatever happens? We'll go through it together. You'll have a place in the city if that's what you want. Are you okay with this, Iris?"

"Aahh…" Iris nodded and wiped away her tears of happiness. "Of course, Feenie…"

Miles was not looking. He was not thinking. He did not care. This was not denial.

This did not hurt.

He released his left forearm. He had grabbed them too hard. Ouch. He rubbed it to smoothen the wrinkles.

Miles didn't know how long he had looked away. His attention was back when Iris mentioned him. "... for that, I'm sorry, Mr. Edgeworth."

"Oh… It's fine." Miles had to assume it's about what happened in the Hazakura case. "The case was closed. I do not hold grudges on criminals serving their sentences in jail."

"Edgeworth!" Phoenix snapped, looking angry. Hmph, perhaps his statement was a bit mean?

Iris chuckled. She didn't mind his comment. What she had done was wrong, she knew, and she was paying for her crimes. That made Phoenix pressed himself against the glass and they had a virtual hug.

Miles stopped paying attention after that and let Phoenix and the Feys, he counted Iris as a Fey, talked. He had nothing to say to Iris, unlike the rest. An inmate gets at least four hours of visiting time per month. They should make the most out of that time.

* * *

After saying goodbye to Iris, they walked out to the streets. The Feys ran ahead of them to the burger joint a few minutes walk from here. Miles and Phoenix followed the girls and the walk was in silence at first.

"So, Edgeworth..." Miles heard Phoenix from behind him. "How long?"

Miles made a mistake of making eye contact after the question was asked.

Phoenix was with a knowing grin. "How long have you liked her?"

Miles averted his eyes and made sure not to show emotions. "… I don't know what you're talking about."

Phoenix shrugged. "Pretend all you want, but there're four locks, Edgeworth. Four locks."

"Nghhh." Ludicrous, stupid, fraudulent magical things. Miles hated that it was right.

Phoenix's grin got wider. "Not denying? Who? Well, actually I know who..."

Miles did what he knew would get him out of the situation: walking away. "Let's follow Maya and Pearls. They must have finished buying burgers."

Phoenix dropped the subject. Miles hated how Phoenix looked at him like that.

* * *

Maya gave him space after the visit. Miles appreciated it.

Sitting on his bed contemplating his life choices, he had to admit, visiting Iris and seeing the obvious evidence of their love for each other again may have helped him cope. It's better to hurt now than to expect more and hurt later.

No, he would not let his mind wandered like back at the park. One thing at a time. Only one.

_Phoenix and Iris were in a relationship..._

… It hurt less, probably.

Didn't mean he has to be happy about it, not yet. And any thoughts regarding his future with Maya Fey would have to be suppressed.

_Her future_, he meant.

Miles needed some time off, so he was glad when Maya told him about a pre-master program she needed to go through soon. Basically, she would train for a month at Kurain and come back. Also, Pearl had been out of the village for a while. This was a good chance to send Pearl back to Kurain so she could continue her studies.

"I thought you do not want to be the Master?" Miles asked one morning when they were in the kitchen. "Why are you preparing yourself to be one?"

Maya shrugged, a plate of burgers in front of her. "Then who would?"

"Pearls-"

"_No._"

Miles raised his eyebrows. Maya had never been so harsh with him before. She was energetic, cheerful. She was upset with the Hazakura case, yes, but never with what he said.

Maya seemed to notice and toned it down. She picked the burger up and frowned at it. "Not Pearly. Not yet. The village hasn't had a leader in a long time. I should take care of it until Pearly is an adult."

"I see."

Maya wants to be the Master and she does not want him to talk about it, those were clear.

Miles hoped those times away from her would clear his head and to help him make up his mind… Considering the circumstances, it's better to cut this short, right?

* * *

When the Feys had to leave, Phoenix and Miles sent them off at the train station. After the train left, they entered the cafe nearby and took their usual seats.

"You've been with her for a few months. I wouldn't be surprised," Phoenix began as soon as their drinks were served.

Miles didn't give him an answer.

"Don't tell me… Ah, I see. It went back further than that. huh? So it's serious!"

Miles sipped his tea. Ugh, him and his ability to guess. "To be honest, I am not sure what to do."

Phoenix asked, "Why not?"

So Miles explained his thought process so far. Maya was his friend and he would never want to ruin their friendship. He was doing alright these past few years.

Of course, his admiration for Phoenix and his recent heartbreak could be left out. Phoenix might see a few locks for that, but those were private matters and they would stay that way.

"... She is going to be the Master. I would have to study overseas and take the chief prosecutor position. We would both be busy. We would grow up."

"You're giving up."

"I don't do the impossible, Wright." Miles stared into his tea. "And I don't plan to… trap her in my home. She deserves to have her own life."

Phoenix chuckled at that. "You talk like Iris."

Miles narrowed his eyes. "Is that a good or a bad thing?"

"It's something Iris explained to me, about her thought process all these years and all. Like being worried over someone you don't even talk to anymore, thinking so far ahead for their future. Thinking _for _them…"

"So it is bad."

"Depends on you. If I may say my thoughts?" Phoenix looked at him in the eye. "From what I see, you don't want there to be expectations in a long distant relationship, so you'd rather leave her out of it."

"In a sense..." Miles admitted it sounded bad when Phoenix put it that way, but he was putting her best interest at heart. She might not even feel the same way. He should keep quiet for now.


	8. Adopt

**A/N: This fic is in an AU where Phoenix is still a defence attorney!**

**Time for me to put this unedited chapter here and disappear again. (Yes, I say I will edit this later. Yes yes one day. One day in the far far future.)**

* * *

Miles' life continued as normal for a few weeks before he received a rumor in the legal world.

He headed to Phoenix's office.

"... Trucy, please go to your room for a moment," Phoenix said. A young girl, which Miles assumed was Trucy Enigmar, did as she was told.

When she was out of their earshots, Miles snapped to Phoenix. "You adopted a child?! You said you are trying to save money!"

Phoenix raised his hands, palms outward. "Yeah, I know. Edgeworth, take a seat?"

Miles took a seat on the couch. Phoenix had the nerve to go make him an absolutely horrible cup of instant coffee and sat across from him. "Wright, you better tell me the reason behind your action in ten minutes or I will lose my faith in you."

And Phoenix did. Shadi Enigmar being a defendant on the day Phoenix happened to be at the courthouse. Shadi's disappearing act. The defendant's daughter being left behind in the lobby, no longer having a parent.

"... I talked with her on that day and we kept in contact for a while. Then it seemed like her dad wouldn't come back anymore and there's no one else, so…"

"So you adopted Trucy Enigmar," Miles finished it for him.

"She's lovely." Phoenix took his time drinking the coffee. "I bet you're mad at me?"

"Indeed I am." Miles' cup was untouched.

"You know I can't just leave her like that, right?" Phoenix said. "Her dad left her at a courthouse lobby! Like, gone. I can't just leave her."

"You shouldn't make rash decision, Wright! Have you ever thought of your financial? Or have you given up on helping Iris in favor of a stranger?" Miles was raising his voice. "You asked me for help and found more trouble for yourself! Why didn't you wait and see first? Someone else would-"

"I thought you'd understand me, Edgeworth. I saw you in her!"

Phoenix's statement rendered him speechless for a few seconds. "What?"

"Sorry if this hits you, but I don't want her to have terrible childhood. So I adopted her. I plan on having that part time job anyway. I'm ready for another business."

"... I see." Miles took a deep breath. So Phoenix had plans. It's not like he was jobless. He was an adult. He could take responsibility. "I apologize. I may have overreacted."

"It's okay," Phoenix said. "I get it that you won't be perfectly happy, really."

"Please do not misunderstand," Miles said. "What you did was honorable. However, being a parent is no light matter. I… I had hoped you would consult me with something like this before making a decision."

Phoenix's gaze dropped. "Sorry."

"My usual offer still stands. I will help you financially if you ask for it. After all, the legacy von Karma had left me with was plenty."

"Haha. I feel bad saying this again, but… Thanks, Edgeworth, really."

"It's no problem. I hope your second career works out well." Miles stood up and prepared to leave. "And… my childhood wasn't that bad."

"You sure?" Phoenix asked. He didn't answer. "Well, I'll take your word for it, but Trucy's childhood will be the best of the best."

"Good luck parenting, Wright."

"Good luck with your love life!"

Miles huffed. "I do not have any."

"Come on, Pearls' at Kurain and Maya will come back alone!"

"We have gone over this. She would stay in town only for a short while and will become the Master at Kurain. Goodbye, Wright."

* * *

Phoenix was insistent enough to call him a few hours later when he was at the office.

"Miles Edgeworth spea-"

"Kurain Village is only two hours away by train! You cross the ocean like traveling on a monopoly board anyway! With this line of logic, your rebuttal is invalid!"

Miles sighed. Now Phoenix was using some of his favorite words to convince him. "Surely you call only to interrupt my work schedule. I am a busy person, Wright. And like I've said…"

"You want to run away to Europe."

"I would _study the law system_."

"And become chief prosecutor and be even busier!"

"It's for the greater good!"

"Yeah yeah I get it. Can't even take a short vacation. There's much work to be done yada yada." Even from his voice alone, Miles could tell Phoenix didn't agree with him. "Just make sure you take care of yourself too… and other things. Take care."

* * *

A few days after, there was an expected knock at his front door. Miles walked to the door, looked through the peephole just to be sure, and opened the door.

"Edgeworth, I'm back!" Maya shouted at his face the moment she stepped in.

"Welcome back." Miles closed the door for her as she threw her shoes away in a hurry and ran to the couch and flopped down on it. He never noticed when exactly she dropped the honorific when addressing him. Was it before or after Pearl calling him 'Uncle Miles'? It was so natural for the Feys to be casual with him nowadays.

They later had German cuisine for dinner. Halfway through the meal, Maya started talking. "I heard the news. Nick called me. You heard too, right?"

Miles nodded.

"Can't believe he's a dad now! He'd need to be careful with spending money since he has another person living with him… I should really find a way to make money to. Right! Now I've trained and I can channel people easier and longer! You got anyone in mind?"

"No." Miles only had two people in mind. One is someone he never wanted to see again, and another is someone he couldn't bear to face. "No thanks."

Maya gave him a look, but only briefly and it was gone. "Guess what? I could make money from channeling now. Being the Master would make people trust me to do the job more though. Right now, not so much. We don't have that good of a reputation."

"If it would feel better, I no longer resent the Fey Clan."

"Thanks."

* * *

They continued talking over the dinner table with a glass of wine for each person. Maya enjoyed talking to Miles. He was a good listener. He agreed he would take her to Phoenix's office later to meet Trucy. She would be Aunt Maya! Phoenix was truly a grumpy old man.

"About Nick," Maya took a sip and was surprised that this one was sweeter than what Miles usually drinks. "You'd help him when he needs it, right?"

"Of course."

"Good! Let him feel your luxurious life, just like Gumshoe, huh?"

Miles smirked. He swirled wine around in his glass. "I admit I have enough money to throw around."

Maya had heard from Phoenix that Gumshoe seemed a lot happier and healthier nowadays, something to do with his recent increase in salary. There's no need to wonder who gave the detective a raise.

But with Phoenix, Miles wasn't his superior. He was going to have to offer his own money. Yes, Maya knew he was rich, but… "Where did you get all these from anyway? Nick is so poor unlike you."

"Manfred von Karma."

Oh.

Maya regretted asking that. She wondered if it was too personal. "I didn't know he give money to you, too."

"I have never considered him to be my father, but he is an adoptive father on papers. He was my mentor… He took care of me." Miles took a small sip. "I am grateful for what he had left behind."

Maya frowned. Why is he talking like von Karma was a good person? Because he wasn't! "May I ask how it was like? You know, being with von Karma."

"Manfred was... a distant person, and of course perfect in every way." Miles stared into his glass. "We studied at the mansion. Manfred taught some of them himself. He was almost always busy, and I were the one who took care of Franziska in his absence. The rules in his house were strict but nothing I couldn't handle."

Maya hummed and nodded. Manfred was still a jerk.

"There were many things that are different from America. I had to get used to it." Miles took a deep breath. "You wouldn't agree with me, but I do miss those times in the von Karma household as well as Manfred himself."

"You're right. I don't," Maya said. "Righfully so. He sucks!"

"Miss Fey, he was the God of prosecutors-"

"He brought you to his house for revenge. He made you feel guilty for years! He gave you food and education and a roof, so what? He was still a jerk. Don't talk like he's good to you!"

"But he was."

"What? No! Von Karma was- He tried to ruin your life!

"_I know_." Miles crossed his arms. "I know. That's why I can't help but wonder… when did he changed, when exactly did he become disappointed in me? Has he decided since that day on the elevator, or was it because I lost to Wright? Because I lost my perfect record...?"

"Edgeworth."

"I know, Maya, but one does not forget fifteen years of gratitude so easily." Miles looked out the window. "He took care of me well enough… Sometimes he spoke unkindly. He was always like that. Franziska always stood up for me in her own way."

"Abuse is still abuse."

Miles frowned. "Everyone says that."

"Because it's true. He's a perfectionist that doesn't let anything get in the way of perfection, and that includes your happiness, or morality, or…" Maya trailed off. "I remembered when I first met you. You looked so unhappy. You looked..."

They stared into each other's eyes. Maya could see the conflict. She hoped her words were knocking some sense into him.

Miles looked away. "Maybe you're right." _Maybe? _"His method on prosecuting is wrong of course, but that's after his wife was murdered."

"Seriously?" _But that's still justifying his wrongness, Edgeworth._

"The case was too personal for Manfred to prosecute it himself. There was not enough evidence to sentence the killer. I have heard it happened way before he adopted me, perhaps before you even born."

"Before I was born?" Maya wondered if he was trying to change the subject. Well, this was also interesting so she would play along. "But Franziska is the same age as me! How long ago was that?"

"That was his first wife. His second wife is the mother of Franziska." Miles frowned. "She had disappeared."

So now Franziska was also an orphan. "Did the first wife has a child?"

"She had. Franziska's sister… I've never met her myself. She should be in her mid thirties."

"So like, a decade before… uhh, my head hurts."

"That's enough tale for a day."

"Aw, that was interesting."

"I have to admit. it was nice having a sister… sisters." Miles smiled. "Perhaps you could tell me about Miss Fey."

"Me or my Sis or Pearly?"

She received a glare.

"I know I know, my sis, right? I told you to call me Maya. There's too many Miss Feys in my family."

Miles whispered something under his breath, then he looked at her and said, "It… is informal."

"Hm, hmm, okay. Sure, sure." Maya nodded. Who cares about being formal with friends? Sheesh.

After the meal, they returned to their room for the night.


	9. Away

**A/N: Yes, I am now finished with what I was busy with, but who knows the world is going to be like this now? To be honest, I'm not much in a writing mood lately. I have been doodling, so you can... find me on tumblr... (it's tsukireicc)**

**Every chapter from now on is placeholder if you want to see it like that. I have promised myself to finish this story no matter how much it sucks, then it all can be fixed later! But there's no option to hide your own work as far as I'm aware, so I'm here.**

**Again I shall put unedited draft here and leave.**

* * *

Miles visited the Wrights from time to time to check up on them. They were living well enough. Trucy started making herself well known around some friendly bars while Phoenix opened his art commission.

"Guess what? she made more money than me." Phoenix gestured at all the props in the office living room, now the Wrights' living room. In the corner, there were half painted canvas and some unfinished projects.

"You should start accepting cases."

"But they are all lying, Trucy said so. And they had psyche locks."

"Perhaps you should adapt to Mr. Shields' ways."

"Who's that?"

"My father's former assistant. He is now the owner of Edgeworth Law Offices. He helps all clients. Even guilty ones."

"I can see that, but the motto of this office is to accept only the framed or people in need."

"You don't want to do your job, you mean." He didn't want money. Pro bono work was common for the Wright & co.

"If they are guilty, there's a public defender for that. And I'm definitely not trying to decrease a murderer's sentences with careful wording for convenient evidence."

"Of course not."

* * *

Wright & Co. Law Offices / Truly Phoenix Art Studio

Maya stared at the sigh.

"Art studio?"

"You were gone for a while."

Miles and Maya visited the office, which now has become the Wrights' house, the law office, as well as an art studio.

Phoenix welcomed them and properly introduced his daughter this time.

"Look at this. I'm not sure if I'm that good yet. I've been practicing these past few months. I was a manga artist's assistant back in the day."

This is good.

"I'm kinda working with larry too. He's improved his art a lot."

"I am aware." Miles had to admit Larry's art was useful on many occasions. Without him, some murderers would have gone free.

* * *

It was ideal, people from outside would think. Maya living in Miles' house. Phoenix living with his daughter with Miles' financial support. Iris was visited as often as possible. Pearl got some education.

It was driving Maya crazy.

She wasn't stupid. Silly, maybe, but not stupid. She wasn't innocent to love. She knew.

It's what friends do, Miles would say.

Her newly charged magatama protested.

* * *

Maya packed her bag ready to leave when miles came home.

"I have decided. I will go back to Kurain."

"What?" Miles asked. "If it's something I did wrong-"

"No, it's not about you. I need to go." Maya averted her gaze. "I need to make my own money. I can't rely on you guys forever. I can't run away from my responsibility any longer… So I'm going."

Miles was trying to think of something, anything. "Wright said I have to take care of you until Iris is released from jail."

"Then what? Then I go back to being a burden? I need to train. I need to do my duty. I need to grow up. Even Sis become a defense attorney and save many people." Maya slowly blinked. "I can't save anyone."

Miles knew her guilt was there. The Hazakura case was still fresh in her mind, the same way he could never forget about that elevator.

If going away would make her feel better-

If being away from him would make her feel better.

"Do what you must," Miles said.

Maya nodded. "I'm going."

"Will you be okay?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

The car ride was in silence.

"I'll try my best, Mr. Edgeworth."

"Take care."

As he stood there until the train disappeared from sight, he had realized one thing.

_I have messed up._


End file.
